The invention pertains to methods of chemically converting first materials to second materials utilizing hybrid-plasma systems. In particular aspects, the hybrid plasma systems utilize a plasma comprising activated hydrogen and oxygen formed from a water vapor.
Plasmas can be formed by ionizing one or more materials to convert the materials to a so-called plasma state. The plasma state of the materials generally comprises activated state atoms and ionized fragments of the materials. An interesting aspect of chemistry is that materials frequently undergo reactions that would not occur, or that would occur very slowly, if the materials were in some other form besides a plasma state. Accordingly, plasmas can be useful for causing materials to undergo chemical conversions. In spite of the understood utility of plasmas, there remains a need to develop improved plasma systems, and to develop methodologies for applying such plasma systems in applications having industrial utility.
In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of chemically converting a first material to a second material. A first plasma and a second plasma are formed, and the first plasma is in fluid communication with the second plasma. The second plasma comprises activated hydrogen and oxygen, and is formed from a water vapor. A first material is flowed into the first plasma to at least partially ionize at least a portion of the first material. The at least partially ionized first material is flowed into the second plasma to react at least some components of the first material with at least one of the activated hydrogen and activated oxygen. Such converts at least some of the first material to a second material.
In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of forming a synthetic gas by flowing a hydrocarbon-containing material into a hybrid-plasma system.
In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of degrading a hydrocarbon-containing material by flowing such material into a hybrid-plasma system.
In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of releasing an inorganic component of a complex comprising the inorganic component and another component, wherein the complex is flowed through a hybrid-plasma system.